Wild agrees to terms with Bruce Boudreau as its fifth head coach

Official press release. It's a four-year deal worth a shade under $3 million annually.

MINNESOTA WILD AGREES TO TERMS WITH BRUCE BOUDREAU

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the Wild has agreed to terms with Bruce Boudreau (boo-DROH) to become the team's new Head Coach. He owns a record of 409-192-80 (.659) in nine seasons as an NHL head coach with the Anaheim Ducks and the Washington Capitals, leading his team to a division title eight times. Boudreau became the fastest coach in NHL history to reach the 400-win milestone (663 games) on March 5, 2016, and leads active NHL coaches in win percentage. He is 41-39 in eight trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and is the seventh head coach in NHL history to win 200-plus games with multiple teams.

Boudreau, 61 (1/9/55), was named Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 30, 2011, and compiled a record of 208-104-40 (.647) in 352 games in parts of five seasons (2011-16). The 2015-16 season marked the fourth straight Pacific Division title for the Ducks. Anaheim set franchise records for most wins (54), points (116) and goals (266) in a season in 2013-14 and Boudreau was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award after guiding Anaheim to a 30-12-6 record in 2012-13.

He compiled a record of 201-88-40 (.672) in parts of five seasons (2007-11) as Head Coach of the Washington Capitals, winning the Southeast Division four times. Boudreau led his club to the 2010 Presidents' Trophy as the club set team records for most points (121) and goals (313) in a season in 2009-10, and won the 2008 Jack Adams Award. He became the fastest coach in modern day NHL history to win 200 games on Nov. 11, 2011, and recorded more wins (184) in his first 300 NHL games than any NHL coach.

Boudreau was named interim head coach of the Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007. On that date, Washington was 30th in the NHL standings. He led the club to a 37-17-7 finish as the Capitals won the Southeast Division. Boudreau, whose interim tag was removed on Dec. 26, 2007, became the second head coach to win the Jack Adams Award after taking over a team midseason. In 2008-09, Boudreau led the Capitals to their first playoff series win since 1988.

Before joining the Capitals, he spent parts of nine seasons as a head coach in the American Hockey League (AHL), including two seasons with Lowell (1999-2001), four seasons with Manchester (2001-05) and parts of three seasons with Hershey (2005-08). He won the 2006 Calder Cup and advanced to the 2007 Calder Cup Final.

Boudreau began his coaching career in the Colonial Hockey League with Muskegon (1992-93) and won the Commissioners' Trophy as the International Hockey League Coach of the Year in 1993-94 with Fort Wayne. He also served as head coach and director of hockey operations for Mississippi (ECHL), where he won the 1999 Kelly Cup championship.

Boudreau played parts of eight NHL seasons (1976-86) with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks recording 70 points (28-42=70) in 141 career games. The native of Toronto, Ont., was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. He was also selected in the first round of the 1974 World Hockey Association Draft by the Minnesota Fighting Saints and skated in 30 games with the Fighting Saints in 1975-76. Boudreau tallied 165 points (68-97=165) in 69 games with the Toronto Marlboros in 1974-75, to win the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the leading scorer in the Ontario Hockey Association.

He ranks 12th all-time in AHL scoring with 799 points (316-483=799) in 634 games. No AHL player in the 1980s notched more points than Boudreau. In 1987-88, he won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy (led AHL in scoring) and the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship and dedication to hockey), and was a member of the 1992 Calder Cup champion Adirondack Red Wings. Boudreau was inducted into the AHL Hall-of-Fame in 2009.

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Sarah McLellan is an Edmonton native. She graduated from the Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State, and covered the Coyotes for five years at the Arizona Republic before arriving at the Star Tribune in November 2017.